Watch out! - Ticket Controllers and other Budapest, Hungary Warning Or Danger Tips

BKV ZRt Budapest Transport Limited's ticket controllers love tourists, because it's quite easy to cheat on them.
The best way to avoid getting cheated by a ticket inspector is to hold and validate a ticket or pass. Don't forget that there are no free transfers in Budapest, you either have to validate a new ticket or the other end of a transfer ticket when changing lines. If you hold a metro (section) transfer ticket, then you don't have to validate it again, but that's the ONLY exception.

When transfering to a tram, trolley or metro replacement vehicle (denoted by VILLAMOSPOTLO, TROLIPOTLO or METROPOTLO JARAT, the other end of the ticket (without numbers) must be validated - if possible, as you might already have that cancelled when talking about a transfer ticket with numbers at both ends.

Once in trouble on a bus, trolley or tram, just leave the vehicle and don't begin any negotiation with the controllers. Most of them don't speak or understand English well enough anyway. When you are not willing to pay or show any ID, the controller must make you get off anyway - so it's a legal (though immoral) way of escaping from being punished. And please, don't let them catch you in the stop, they are not allowed to.

When you get caught without a valid ticket or pass at a metro, underground, HEV or cogwheel railway station, don't pay, or if you do, don't pay more than 1500 HUF on the spot but show an ID without address. And then, if you are willing to, you can still pay the fine (~2500-3000 HUF) later at Akacfa utca 15.

If they ask for more than 1500 Fts on the spot, DON'T PAY, even if they warn you like 'Police, Polizei, Telefon Police'. Just make sure you have proper identification with you in case they would really call the police, who would take a look at your passport /ID, write down your name and send your address to BKV at a later time. And then you're okay, BKV won't mail you abroad...

FROM 1 SEPTEMBER, FOREIGNERS MAY NOT BE FINED ON THE SPOT BUT BE SERVED WITH A VALID TICKET FOR ITS ORIGINAL PRICE

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Website: www.bkv.hu

In certain areas there are groups of pickpockets working. Such areas are zones with a high pocket density, that is:
- near most tourist attractions, especially Pest downtown and Buda Castle
- as the end-of-year holidays and celebrations come, near shopping centers and Christmas fairs
- all year long at marketplaces, especially Grand Market Hall
- the following public transportation vehicles: metro lines, the 'four-six' (trams #4, 6), the 'sevens' (buses #7,7express,7A,173express), Little Circle tram lines (#47,49).

When traveling on a crowded vehicle or moving in a crowd, hold your valuables close to your body so that you feel when someone tries to take it. If you notice some one wants to steal something, look at the person in question. He/she will know why are you looking - but don't shout (criminals never like people who draw attention on them - for your safety, just forget about the insult or make a report later), unless you see a policeman around (you won't see one anyway, pps are cautious enough about them).

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Phone: 112, 107 (any emergency/police)